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Category: Attack on Ukraine

  • John Healey – 2025 Statement to the House of Commons on Ukraine

    John Healey – 2025 Statement to the House of Commons on Ukraine

    The statement made by John Healey, the Defence Secretary, in the House of Commons on 22 April 2025.

    Thank you Mr Speaker. Today, HMS Prince of Wales set sail from Portsmouth and I trust the whole House will join me in wishing the entire carrier strike group a safe and successful global deployment.

    Mr Speaker, I wish to make a statement on the ongoing war in Ukraine.

    Today, parliament returns from its Easter break.

    But during the last two weeks Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has continued. Drones strikes. Missile attacks. Fierce fighting on the frontline.

    On Palm Sunday, men, women and children in Sumy, on their way to church were hit by Putin’s deadliest attack on Ukrainian civilians so far this year, killing 35 people – including young children – and injuring over 100 more.

    We are united in condemnation at this brutal attack and Putin’s illegal actions.

    At this critical moment for Ukraine and for European security, we have stepped up the Government’s efforts for Ukraine and we will step up further, both to increase military support for the fight today and to secure peace for tomorrow.

    Mr Speaker, we cannot jeopardise the peace by forgetting about the war.

    So, ten days ago in Brussels, the UK convened and I co-chaired the 27th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, alongside my good friend, the German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.

    51 nations and partners – from Europe from the Indo Pacific, from South America – came together at NATO HQ, including Ukrainian President Zelensky, US Defence Secretary Hegseth and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

    We came together to step up our support for Ukraine in the fight. Together we pledged a record 21 billion euros of military support to put Ukraine in strongest possible position and to increase pressure on Putin to negotiate.

    Mr Speaker this year, the UK is providing £4.5 billion in military support to Ukraine, more than ever before.

    And in Brussels, I announced £200 million of support will be surged to the front line, with supplies starting to reach Ukraine’s fighters within the next month including radar systems, anti-tank mines and hundreds of thousands of drones.

    I also announced £160 million worth to help the repair and maintenance essential battlefield vehicles and equipment.

    This support will strengthen Ukrainian troops in the close fight now and strengthen our industrial links with Ukraine to boost UK businesses.

    When President Trump talks about peace through strength, it’s the commitments made through this Contact Group that provide the strength to secure that peace.

    Despite President Putin’s promise of a 30-hour pause in fighting, I can confirm that Defence Intelligence have found, and I quote “no indication that a ceasefire on the frontline was observed over the Easter period”.

    And 10,000 missiles and drones have been fired into Ukraine during this year alone, including from the Black Sea.

    So, while Putin has said he declared an Easter truce – he broke it.

    While Putin says he wants peace – he rejected a full ceasefire.

    And while Putin says he wants to put an end to the fighting – he continues to play for time in negotiations.

    And the military, the Russian military continue to press on a number of fronts.

    Mr Speaker, I can confirm Russian military progress is slowing.

    Putin gained less territory in March then he did in February and less territory in February than he did in January.

    Ukrainian towns which Russia have been targeting since before Christmas have still not been captured.

    Ukrainian troops have still not been ejected from Russian territory in Kursk.

    Whatever ground Putin is taking comes at enormous human cost. Over 940,00 Russians have likely been killed or injured in the war so far – including over 150,000 killed and injured this year alone.

    Last month, the average daily casualty rate on the Russian side was 1,300 – almost double the rate of this time last year.

    While at home, Putin faces crippling interest rates at 21 per cent, inflation running at over 10 per cent and the Russian government is spending nearly 40 per cent of its total budget on this military campaign.

    I have to say Mr Speaker, in the days ahead, it is likely that Russia will keep up attacks on the Sumy oblast to help it fully reclaim nearby contested areas of Kursk.

    In central Donetsk oblast, Russia is targeting urban strongholds such as Toretsk, Povrosk and Chasiv Yar.

    And in Kharkiv, Russia is continuing to make assaults towards the rail and logistics hub of Kupiansk.

    We do expect more ground to be taken, and more Russian missiles fired into Ukraine.

    And that is why we must remain united for Ukraine across this House, across this country, and across those nations standing alongside Ukraine.

    And we will step up support for Ukraine and pressure on Putin to force him to recognise that now is the time for peace, and continuing the war will prove much worse in the long run for Russia.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2025 Speech at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum

    Stephen Doughty – 2025 Speech at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum

    The speech made by Stephen Doughty, the Minister for Europe, in Antalya on 12 April 2025.

    The principles are fundamental, and they are what is at stake here. And as Andrea said, this is not just a situation where we see a complete violation of those principles that were in the Helsinki Final Act, that we all stood by, and we have stood by for those 50 years. But it’s also the UN Charter that is fundamentally under threat by Russia’s aggression.

    And of course, this isn’t just the aggression we’ve seen against Ukraine. It’s the other hybrid and destabilizing activities that they prosecute across our continents against our democracies more generally, and whether that’s disruptions, attempted disruptions, in the Western Balkans or in Moldova or elsewhere.

    This has consequences for all of us, and this matters for everybody in this room. It matters for everybody in the room if those principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty are not abided by, and it matters deeply for all of our people. Most importantly for the people of Ukraine at the moment, but for all of us.

    I was in Kyiv just a few weeks ago, and I could hear in the background the alarm going off there. For Ukrainians in the room, this would probably be the air raid alarm on their on their phones, because Ukraine is seeing that escalation every night, civilians being attacked and killed.

    I was in Bucha, which saw some of the worst, appalling atrocities that we’ve seen since the start of this conflict, and seeing those mass graves and others, but also hearing about how just the night before, how drones have come and killed civilians, and how children and others have been taken away and still no idea where those where those young people and those civilians are. That is a brutal attack on the values that all of us in this room stand for. So I think we must absolutely recognize what’s at stake here.

    That’s why we as the UK are 100% ironclad in our support behind Ukraine, not just for now, but for 100 years into the future. It’s why we’re working with our NATO partners and allies here. And it’s a genuine pleasure to be with friends – it’s a genuine pleasure to be here in Antalya and to be hosted by our Turkish allies and friends. And it’s why we must double down, not only on the support for Ukraine, but also for European, Euro-Atlantic security more generally – that’s what we’re doing.

    That’s the leadership the Prime Minister and President Macron are showing, working with President Trump on that secure and sustainable peace for Ukraine. Which Ukraine again has come forward from, and yet we do not see that same response from Moscow. And President Erdoğan very clearly set out yesterday the importance that that peace has to be sustainable. And that’s going to come through those of us who are willing to get in there, to put boots on the ground, to get the support to ensure that Ukrainian forces are able to defend, deter against future aggression. But also that we as NATO partners are stepping up, particularly European partners here, for our own defence.

    That is what we’re doing with our spending. That’s what we’re doing with our commitments. But this matters not just for us. It matters for the globe. It matters for us in this room, because these are fundamental principles that have been attacked here by Moscow.

  • Keir Starmer – 2025 Comments After the Coalition of the Willing Meeting in Paris

    Keir Starmer – 2025 Comments After the Coalition of the Willing Meeting in Paris

    The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 27 March 2025.

    It is now over two weeks since Ukraine agreed to an immediate 30-day ceasefire.

    That offer is still unanswered. It is over a week since Putin agreed to an energy and infrastructure ceasefire.

    Since then, Russia has hit energy infrastructure in cities across Ukraine.

    They’ve increased their bombardment.

    Firing over 1,000 long range drones at the country.

    Hitting homes, schools and hospitals, with widespread civilian casualties.

    One drone killed a mother, father and their daughter – an innocent family.

    Then, this week we saw the agreement on a ceasefire in the Black Sea.

    I welcomed this as a vital first step forward.

    But within a few minutes of the announcement,

    Russia set out new conditions and delays.

    Now President Trump has rightly called them out for dragging their feet.

    And we agreed here in Paris today that it’s clear the Russians are filibustering.

    They are playing games and playing for time.

    It is a classic from the Putin playbook.

    But we can’t let them drag this out while they continue prosecuting their illegal invasion.

    Instead, we should be setting a deadline of delivering real progress.

    And we should hold them to that deadline.

    So here in Paris we agreed that we must go further now to support the peace process. Support Ukraine and increase the pressure on Russia to get serious.

    That means – first – stepping up the military pressure.

    So the Defence Secretary will chair the next Ukraine Defence Contact Group on 11 April, to marshal more military aid and keep Ukraine in the fight.

    Because peace comes through strength.

    That was one of the main messages reasserted today and emphasised today all-round the table.

    Second, it means increasing the economic pressure on Russia – accelerating new, tougher sanctions, bearing down on Russia’s energy revenues – and working together to make this pressure count.

    We also discussed how we can support the implementation of a full or partial ceasefire, when it is in place, and how we can build efforts towards negotiations on a just and lasting peace.

    That remains our shared goal. And that is what the Coalition of the Willing is designed to support.

    The political will from partners here today was clear.

    And this week in London we hosted over 200 military planners from 30 countries. Coming forward with contributions on everything from logistics and command and control, to deployments on land, air and sea.

    That work continues at pace.

    We will be ready to operationalise a peace deal whatever its precise shape turns out to be.

    And we will work together to ensure Ukraine’s security so it can defend and deter against future attacks.

    This is Europe mobilising together behind the peace process on a scale we haven’t seen for decades.

    Backed by partners from around the world, we are determined to deliver a just and lasting peace.

    Because we know it is vital for Ukraine and Europe as a whole and I am clear that it is vital for Britain.

  • Keir Starmer – 2025 Remarks Following International Leaders Summit

    Keir Starmer – 2025 Remarks Following International Leaders Summit

    The remarks made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, at Lancaster House in London on 2 March 2025.

    Good afternoon.

    The first priority of this government – of any government…

    Is the security and safety of the British people…

    To defend the national interest…

    Particularly in these volatile times.

    That’s why, last week…

    I announced the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War.

    That’s also why I met President Trump last week…

    To strengthen our relationship with America –

    As indispensable partners in defence and security.

    And it’s why, this weekend, I have been hosting European leaders here in London…

    To work together…

    For the security of the United Kingdom, Ukraine and Europe as a whole.

    Through my discussions over recent days…

    We have agreed that the UK, France and others…

    Will work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting…

    Then we’ll discuss that plan with the United States…

    And take it forward together.

    The purpose of today’s meeting was to unite our partners around this effort…

    To strengthen Ukraine…

    And to support a just and enduring peace…

    For the good of all of us.

    Our starting point must be…

    To put Ukraine in the strongest possible position now…

    So that they can negotiate from a position of strength.

    And we are doubling down in our support.

    Yesterday evening…

    The UK signed a £2.2 billion loan…

    To provide more military aid to Ukraine –

    Backed, not by the British taxpayer…

    But by the profits from frozen Russian assets.

    And today, I am announcing a new deal…

    Which allows Ukraine to use £1.6 billion of UK Export Finance…

    To buy more than 5,000 air defence missiles…

    Which will be made in Belfast…

    Creating jobs in our brilliant defence sector.

    This will be vital for protecting critical infrastructure now…

    And strengthening Ukraine in securing the peace, when it comes.

    Because we have to learn from the mistakes of the past.

    We cannot accept a weak deal like Minsk –

    Which Russia can breach with ease.

    Instead, any deal must be backed by strength.

    Every nation must contribute to that in the best way that it can.

    Bringing different capabilities and support to the table…

    But all taking responsibility to act…

    All stepping up to their own share of the burden.

    So we agreed some important steps today.

    First, we will keep the military aid flowing and keep increasing the economic pressure on Russia…

    To strengthen Ukraine now.

    Second, we agreed that any lasting peace must ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty and security.

    And Ukraine must be at the table.

    Third, in the event of a peace deal…

    We will keep boosting Ukraine’s own defensive capabilities…

    To deter any future invasion.

    Fourth, we will go further to develop a “coalition of the willing” to defend a deal in Ukraine…

    And to guarantee the peace.

    Not every nation will feel able to contribute.

    But that can’t mean we sit back.

    Instead, those willing will intensify planning now – with real urgency.

    The UK is prepared to back this…

    With boots on the ground, and planes in the air…

    Together with others.

    Europe must do the heavy lifting…

    But to support peace on our continent.

    And to succeed, this effort must have strong US backing.

    We’re working with the US on this point, after my meeting with President Trump last week.

    And let me be clear – we agree with the President on the urgent need for a durable peace.

    Now we need to deliver, together.

    Finally, we agreed that leaders will meet again very soon…

    To keep the pace behind these actions…

    And to keep working towards this shared plan.

    We are at a crossroads in history today.

    This is not a moment for more talk –

    It is time to act….

    Time to step up and lead…

    And to unite around a new plan…

    For a just and enduring peace.

    Thank you.

  • Keir Starmer – 2025 Statement on the Leaders Meeting on Ukraine

    Keir Starmer – 2025 Statement on the Leaders Meeting on Ukraine

    The statement made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 2 March 2025.

    Today, I hosted counterparts from across Europe including Türkiye, as well as the NATO Secretary General and the Presidents of the EU Commission, EU Council and Canada, in London to discuss our support for Ukraine.

    Together, we reaffirmed our determination to work for a permanent peace in Ukraine, in partnership with the United States. Europe’s security is our responsibility above all. We will step up to this historic task and increase our investment in our own defence.

    We must not repeat the mistakes of the past when weak deals allowed President Putin to invade again. We will work with President Trump to ensure a strong, just, and lasting peace that ensures Ukraine’s future sovereignty and security. Ukraine must be able to deter and defend itself against future Russian attack. There must be no talks on Ukraine without Ukraine. We have agreed that the UK, France and others will work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting which we will discuss further with the US and take forward together.

    Equally importantly, we discussed further rapid steps to enhance our support for Ukraine in pursuit of ‘peace through strength’. We will step up our military support, ensuring Ukraine has the support it needs to train its armed forces and accelerating our support in areas of greatest need. To help bring President Putin to the table, we will put further pressure on Russia by increasing sanctions, including on Russia’s energy revenues, while tightening enforcement of existing measures.

    We also agreed that Ukraine must have robust security arrangements in place at the time of any future peace deal so that Russia does not invade again. We will accelerate plans to build up Ukraine’s own armed forces and border defences after any deal, and ensure that Ukraine can draw on munitions, finance and equipment to defend itself.

    In addition, many of us expressed readiness to contribute to Ukraine’s security, including through a force consisting of European and other partners, and will intensify our planning.

    We will continue to work closely together to drive forward next steps, and will take decisions in the coming weeks.

  • Keir Starmer – 2025 Remarks At Ukraine Reception

    Keir Starmer – 2025 Remarks At Ukraine Reception

    The remarks made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 24 February 2025.

    It’s a privilege to welcome you all here to Downing Street this afternoon.

    This, of course, is not only my office and the centre of our government but it is also my home. So it is appropriate that I throw open the doors to my home to you and make you feel welcome in this building, which is where you should be.

    And particularly fitting that you are here in my home today as we recognise people who have been welcomed into homes across the country, and I know there are many of you here.

    I’ve just had the privilege and the opportunity to talk with a number of you who have been here some for some little time now and often with children. There are people here who have come, people here who have opened their doors and there are many others across the country.

    We are really proud of the people who have opened their doors, opened their hearts as well – because it’s not just a shelter, it’s opening hearts and making you feel welcome particularly in this time of conflict and uncertainty.

    And I said to the people I was talking to just now, I would love to be able to get you all together here again on a future occasion that isn’t an anniversary of an awful conflict because that is, of course, what it is today.

    Because in the face of that conflict, I do think the bond between our two countries has got stronger and stronger. I think it was a good strong bond anyway, but it has got much stronger and that’s happened across the kitchen tables up and down the nation, as well as the meeting tables.

    And of course, I have had the privilege of meeting President Zelenskyy very many times now, on a number of occasions in different places, including here in Downing Street and, of course, in Kyiv.

    I’ve actually been to Kyiv four times. I went twice before the conflict, because before I was a politician, I was the chief prosecutor and we were working with criminal justice colleagues in Kyiv. And so I have seen Kyiv in peace – a brilliant, fantastic city – and I’ve seen it twice, once as leader of the opposition and just a few weeks ago as Prime Minister, in this terrible conflict.

    When I was there just a few weeks ago, I was able to express our solidarity and support, and I was struck again by the resilience and strength of the Ukrainians, because that sense of civic duty, going and doing everyday work, and treating it as work for the nation was very, very strong.

    When I was there four weeks ago, I went to the burns unit at one of the hospitals and saw for myself some of those who have been on the frontline who were being treated in hospital with terrible burns from blasts, really life-changing injuries, and civilians as well who had been caught up in blasts.

    In one sense, it’s obvious when you’re in conflict you are going to see things like that but when you’re there and you see it right there, the human impact is huge.

    Because this isn’t just about discussions of defence and security in Europe, although it is that, it isn’t just about sovereignty and it is that, it is about the impact on human beings.

    When I was there I met children in a school in Kyiv, they were primary-school age so they were 8, 9, 10-years-old, living under the threat of bombardment all of the time. It’s what they are growing up with and I met some of them who had already lost their parents on the frontline at that tender age. That is really humbling, it really brought home to me the human impact of all of this.

    Politics is about the decisions you make but it is also about who you have in your mind’s eye when you make your decisions. And I think it is very important that we have you in our mind’s eye.

    When I was there with President Zelenskyy just a few weeks ago, we then went to have our discussion as two leaders and at that point a drone – a Russian drone – was up in the sky and had to be shot down right above the presidential palace, which for me was just a real reminder of what it is like to live in Kyiv and to have that threat every day now with the drones going up. It brought home to me the uncertainty and the fear – not just obviously for yourselves and the people living in the conflict, but all of their loved ones, and your family and extended family, and friends, and communities who are there and must be in your mind’s eye all of the time. And for your children and your country in the years to come.

    So, amongst my messages here this afternoon is you are not alone.

    We stand with you, and we have stood with you throughout this conflict and we will walk with you through this conflict, and we will continue to do so for as long as is necessary.

    I am proud that we opened our homes; I’m proud of our NHS workers in the hospital I went to Kyiv, who had gone out there with their skills to try and work with those working in the hospitals; the soldiers that are training Ukrainian troops.

    This is incredibly humbling work. I went to see it for myself down in Salisbury. Not only the professionalism of our troops who are doing the training but also the Ukrainian civilians, as they were, who had come to do the training. Through interpreters I talked to a number of them and they had been plumbers, they had been architects, working in local government, and here they were training to go to the frontline. And it was training that would normally take months being truncated into weeks. It was a real sense of what it is like to go through this awful conflict.

    Because we know that this fight is about Ukraine – it is about you, your communities – but it is also about us. This is bigger than Ukraine – it is, of course, about Ukrainian sovereignty but it not just Ukrainian sovereignty. It is about our way of life, our freedoms, about security and defence in Europe, and security and defence here in the United Kingdom, and the values that we hold dear.

    That’s why last time I was there I signed a 100-year partnership with Ukraine which is to signal the ongoing relationship that we want to build over many, many decades to come.

    It’s why we are sending £4.5 billion in military aid to Ukraine this year – that’s more than ever before. And working with our international partners to guarantee the security of Ukraine for generations to come.

    Because I strongly believe that whatever happens next, Ukraine must be in the strongest possible position. We must, we must, we must get peace through strength.

    The temptation is always there to think that it is job done, or something is about to happen. We have got to make sure that we continue with our full support, whether that is capability, whether that is money, whether that’s training – all the other support that we can put in. And that’s my constant message in the discussions I am having with international leaders

    We also need to be really clear as there are lots of discussions at the moment about negotiations: we can’t negotiate about Ukraine without Ukraine – you just can’t – and we must be absolutely clear about this.

    After everything you and your people, your country has been through, all the suffering and hardship – this is about the future of Ukraine and Ukraine must be at the table. It’s an absolute pre-condition.

    And we must work for a lasting peace. One of my biggest fears is that there is a ceasefire which is a temporary reprieve but simply gives Putin the space to come again and that would be the worst of outcomes.

    It must be a lasting peace for you, your children and your children’s children, so that you can live as you should be able to live, in a proud, safe and sovereign Ukraine; able to make sovereign decisions as a country about the alliance that Ukrainians want to make; the partnerships that Ukrainians want to make, and the way of life that Ukrainians want.

    So we will not falter in our support.

    We will not stop our efforts to end this war.

    And we will not rest until the people of Ukraine can live peacefully and safely in their own country.

    So thank you for being here; I do hope that I can have the privilege of seeing you here or elsewhere on an occasion where we are not celebrating another anniversary of this conflict but genuinely celebrating freedom and peace for Ukraine and for Europe.

    Thank you very much.

    Slava Ukraini.

  • Keir Starmer – 2025 Comments at a Meeting Convened by President Zelenskyy to Mark Three Years since the Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine

    Keir Starmer – 2025 Comments at a Meeting Convened by President Zelenskyy to Mark Three Years since the Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine

    The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 24 February 2025.

    Thank you very much – colleagues, let me start with Volodymyr and saying on this day of all days, I want to pay tribute to your leadership Volodymyr. And friends – it’s right that we mark this grim anniversary together. For three years we have been united in opposition to Russia’s barbaric invasion. And for three years we have been full of admiration for the incredible response of the Ukrainian people.

    Their voices must be must at the heart of the drive for peace. And I want to be clear – I hear them. I think of the soldiers and civilians that I met in Kyiv just a few weeks ago in the ICU, in the burns unit… The witnesses to the horror of Bucha… The school children I met living under constant bombardment… The soldiers training in the UK, bound for the frontline… Their voices echo in my ears – They inform the decisions I take – and the peace that I believe we must see.

    So I have a very simple, clear message today: the UK is with you. Today and every day. From His Majesty the King… To the NHS workers volunteering in hospitals in Ukraine… To the communities that took Ukrainian refugees to their heart. And that’s why I signed our 100-year partnership with President Zelenskyy last month – Because we believe in Ukraine’s fight today, and the country’s incredible potential to thrive in the years to come.

    This is a time for unity. In this crucial moment as talks begin – we must work together to shape the outcome.

    Russia does not hold all the cards in this war… Because the Ukrainians have the courage to defend their country… Because Russia’s economy is in trouble… And because they have now lost the best of their land forces and their Black Sea Fleet in this pointless invasion. So we must increase the pressure even further to deliver an enduring peace, not just a pause in fighting. We can do that in three ways.

    First, by stepping up our military support to Ukraine. The UK is doing that… Providing £4.5bn in military aid this year – more than ever before. We’re doing more than ever to train Ukrainian troops, helping Ukraine to mobilise even further… And we’re proud to have taken on the leadership of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.

    Secondly, we must keep dialling up the economic pressure… To get Putin to a point where he is ready not just to talk, but to make concessions. So today we’re announcing the UK’s largest package of sanctions since the early days of the war… Going after Russia’s shadow fleet… And going after companies in China and elsewhere who are sending military components.
    Later today I will be discussing further steps with the G7 – And I am clear that the G7 should be ready to take on more risk – Including on the oil price cap… Sanctioning Russia’s oil giants… And going after the banks that are enabling the evasion of sanctions.

    Third, we must bring our collective strength to the peace effort.
    President Trump has changed the global conversation over the last few weeks. And it has created an opportunity. Now, we must get the fundamentals right.

    If we want peace to endure, Ukraine must have a seat at the table… And any settlement must be based on a sovereign Ukraine… Backed up with strong security guarantees. The UK is ready and willing to support this with troops on the ground – With other Europeans, and with the right conditions in place.
    And ultimately a US backstop will be vital to deter Russia from launching another invasion in just a few years’ time.

    So we will do everything we can to get the best outcome for Ukraine – and for us all. Let me close with one of those voices I mentioned earlier – A patient called Petro, from the burns unit I visited in Kyiv. He said to me… “If Ukraine fails, Europe will be next.” That is what’s at stake here. That is why we will always stand with Ukraine, and with our allies… Against this aggression… And for a just and lasting peace. Slava Ukraini.

  • Nusrat Ghani – 2024 Speech on Ukraine’s Reconstruction

    Nusrat Ghani – 2024 Speech on Ukraine’s Reconstruction

    The speech made by Nusrat Ghani, the Minister for Europe, in Greece on 11 April 2024.

    Good afternoon – and thank you for inviting me to say a few words.

    Over two years ago, when the first tanks thundered towards Kyiv, Putin would have felt invincible.

    But events since have shown how foolish he was.

    Foolish enough to underestimate Ukraine’s bravery.

    Foolish enough to think his military’s incompetence would go unnoticed.

    And foolish enough to doubt the West’s resolve to stand so firmly behind Ukraine.

    The twisted lies Putin spreads to justify the invasion and mask his failures cannot hide a simple truth.

    He believes he can take territories and re-draw borders, when he wants, where he wants…

    …and he believes he can get away with it every single time.

    Well, not this time.

    Ukraine must win. Why? Because our collective security is at stake.

    A defeat will invite more aggression. A victory will deter it.

    The question is not whether we have the ability to achieve this – Ukraine has shown it can defend itself. The question is whether we have the will to see it through.

    By defending Ukraine, we defend the values in the UN charter we all subscribe to. The values which have allowed us to prosper.

    Respect for sovereignty is not just about maintaining lines on a map. It is about having the freedom to choose how we want to live.

    All countries have that right – and Ukraine is fighting to uphold that right for all of us.

    The UK was privileged to play its part in welcoming Ukrainians forced from their homes. But they have a right to return and we collectively have an obligation to enable them to do so.

    Putin wants them out because that is how he can destroy, displace and devalue Ukrainian identity and culture.

    We cannot hand him what he craves.

    We must also honour the legacy of Navalny and his unwavering commitment to Russian democracy. I applaud Yulia’s courage and resilience.

    Her foundation will continue Navalny’s fight, and that remains the best tribute to his enduring vision.

    So, how can we restore freedom, prosperity and democracy in Ukraine?

    I would like to highlight the three key ways in which the UK is helping to rebuild its economy.

    First, by committing financially. Over the last two years, we have provided nearly 6 billion dollars of non-military support.

    We are boosting its fiscal firepower. Last month, we worked with the World Bank to speed up and increase the size of loans.

    As a result, the UK and Japan are providing one and a half billion dollars to help with immediate pressures.

    We and our G7 partners have also been clear – Russia must pay for the damage it has caused. We will pursue all routes through which Russian assets can be used to support Ukraine.

    Second, by harnessing the power of the private sector. The World Bank judges recovery will require almost half a trillion US dollars.

    Daunting as it sounds, it is achievable if we tap into the capital, creativity and expertise of businesses.

    The Ukraine Recovery Conference in London last year mobilised international partners, including the private sector, raising a staggering 60 billion US dollars of support.

    We of course have further to go – but it was a clear indication of what we can achieve together.

    Last year, I also personally oversaw the creation of a war-risk insurance scheme to protect and encourage UK businesses supporting Ukraine.

    Finally, we are helping by stimulating Ukraine’s trading industry. Before the invasion, it was a leading exporter of food, grains, steel and much more.

    There is no reason why that should not be the case once again.

    So, the UK is undertaking a series of trade missions to strengthen long-term cooperation and galvanise investment into Ukraine.

    Make no mistake. This is the defining struggle of our generation. The make-or-break moment is this year.

    The costs of failing to support Ukraine now will be far greater than the costs of repelling Putin.

    That is why we must devote our hard-worked resources and precious time to this collective endeavour.

    There is so much to do and so little time to do it.

    I’ll just finish on what President Zelensky put so well:

    When asked what will bring the end of the war, we used to say “peace”.

    Now, we say “victory”.

    Thank you.

  • Rishi Sunak – 2024 Speech to the Ukrainian Parliament

    Rishi Sunak – 2024 Speech to the Ukrainian Parliament

    The speech made by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, at the Ukrainian Rada on 12 January 2024.

    Mr President, Mr Prime Minister, Mr Chairman, Honourable Members of the Rada…

    I come from the world’s oldest Parliament to address the world’s bravest.

    And it is an honour to do so.

    Every Parliamentarian serving in a democratically elected chamber treasures the ideal of freedom.

    Your courage is defending it.

    Even as the enemy came within 20 kilometres of this Chamber…

    …with many of you personally targeted…

    …you refused to be daunted.

    You continued to sit and do your duty – as you have throughout this war.

    Because this is where you express the sovereignty and independence…

    …for which your people are prepared to sacrifice everything.

    This is where you are keeping alive the cause of democracy…

    …in defiance of the gravest threat we have faced this century.

    So on behalf of Britain and all your allies:

    Thank you.

    Slava Ukraini.

    President Zelensky, you are an inspiration, and, Volodymyr, I am proud to call you a friend.

    President John F Kennedy said of the great Winston Churchill that he:

    “Mobilised the English language and sent it into battle.”

    Volodymyr, you have done the same…

    …and English isn’t even your first language!

    No leader this century has done more to unite liberal democracies in the defence of our values.

    Thank you.

    Above all, let me pay tribute to the people of Ukraine.

    I first came to Ukraine ten years ago, in the year of the Maidan protests.

    I remember the sense of nervous hope…

    …as Ukraine looked towards a future as a sovereign European democracy.

    And in each of my visits since this war began…

    …even amidst all the rubble and destruction…

    …the people I’ve met are more determined than ever to realise that dream.

    The soldiers who even now fight to the last breath for every inch of ground.

    The pilots making stunning blows against Russia’s Black Sea fleet.

    The gunners beating impossible odds to defend your skies.

    The engineers who defeated darkness during the most difficult winter in your history.

    And the ordinary people of Ukraine, who have endured…

    …more than anyone should ever have to bear.

    Rockets and bombs deliberately aimed at homes and hospitals, shelters, and schools.

    Torture, rape, children kidnapped.

    You have met this depravity with bravery and defiance.

    With your unique, unbreakable Ukrainian spirit.

    And all of us in the free world, salute you.

    We meet today at a difficult moment in the struggle for Ukraine’s freedom.

    As always during conflict, there will be difficult moments.

    But we must prepare for this to be a long war.

    But I believe there is hope for us in the echoes of Britain’s own history.

    If 1940 was our finest hour…

    ….and Ukraine’s was two years ago as you resisted the Russian invasion…

    …then perhaps today is more like 1942.

    That was a point in the middle of the war…

    …when progress on the battlefield was hard…

    …the defence industry was under severe strain…

    …and populations were becoming weary.

    It must have been hard to see the light ahead.

    But they stood firm.

    And although they did not know it then…

    …for all the setbacks and difficulties that still lay before them…

    …that was the moment the tide began to turn, and victory became assured.

    I believe that the same will be true of this moment.

    In the end, history tells us that democracies who endure will always prevail.

    Putin cannot understand…

    …that while you can kill individuals and destroy buildings…

    …no army can ever defeat the will of a free people.

    And that is why Ukraine will win.

    Think of what you have already achieved.

    Putin believed he could subjugate Ukraine by force in a matter of weeks.

    Instead, with every rocket he fires the Ukrainian people become ever more determined…

    …and their sense of nationhood becomes stronger still.

    Russia’s military vastly outnumbers Ukrainian forces.

    Yet you have already regained half of the occupied territory.

    You have held the East, reopened vital shipping lanes to help feed the world…

    …and increasingly made Crimea a vulnerability for Russia, not a strength.

    These victories show: Russia can be beaten in its war of aggression.

    It’s on track to lose nearly half a million men.

    Putin has faced an attempted coup…

    …been indicted as an international war criminal…

    … presides over an economy severely weakened by sanctions…

    …and has succeeded in persuading countries across Europe…

    …to significantly increase their defence spending.

    He is now reduced to begging Iran and North Korea for weapons…

    …and desperately sacrificing hundreds of thousands more men…

    …in the hope that Ukraine will yield, or its friends might walk away.

    Well, Ukraine will not yield.

    And the United Kingdom will never walk away.

    From the very beginning…

    …the British people spontaneously flew the Ukrainian flag – and I tell you that it flies still.

    They felt moved to show solidarity with people they’ve never met…

    In a country most have never visited…

    Because of our shared faith in freedom, fairness and democracy.

    We welcomed Ukrainian refugees with open hearts.

    We trained tens of thousands of their Ukrainian comrades in arms.

    we led the way in delivering…

    Helicopters, ships, tanks, and armoured vehicles…

    Air defences and electronic weapons systems…

    Planeloads of anti-tank missiles like the NLAWs and Javelins…

    Storm Shadows to reach behind enemy lines and defend against aggression in the Black Sea.

    Humanitarian and economic support.

    And the strongest set of sanctions ever to debilitate Russia’s economy.

    I’m proud that we’ve provided over £9bn of support so far.

    But I want to go further still.

    Today, President Zelensky and I agreed a new partnership between our two countries…

    …designed to last a hundred years or more.

    Our partnership is about defence and security.

    It is about the unique ties between our people and cultures.

    It will build back a better and brighter future for Ukraine.

    To attract new investment in jobs and homes…

    To fund English language training for the Ukrainian people…

    …as you make English the language of business and diplomacy.

    And it will hold Russia accountable for their war crimes.

    Because Russia must pay to rebuild what they have destroyed.

    Perhaps above all, it will support Ukraine to complete the historic journey you have chosen…

    …to becoming a free, independent democracy at the heart of Europe.

    Ours is the unbreakable alliance:

    The nezlamni allianz.

    First, we will help you win the war.

    Russia thinks that they will outlast us; that our resolve is faltering.

    It is not.

    In each of the last two years, we sent you £2.3bn of military aid.

    This year, we are going to increase that…

    …with the biggest single defence package so far…

    …worth £2.5bn.

    This package will include:

    More air defence equipment, more anti-tank weapons, more long-range missiles…

    Thousands of rounds more ammunition and artillery shells…

    And training for thousands more soldiers…

    Now in total, the UK will have provided almost £12bn of aid to Ukraine.

    So be in no doubt:

    We are not walking away.

    Putin will never outlast us.

    We are here for Ukraine –as long as it takes.

    But the best way to make sure Ukraine has the weapons it needs…

    …is to help Ukraine to produce those weapons themselves.

    So our second action is to work with you to massively increase defence industrial production.

    I believe this will be a source of huge economic strength and value for Ukraine in the future.

    So even as the UK donates more equipment…

    …we will help make you the armoury of the free world.

    British companies like BAE Systems and AMS are already supporting your armed forces from within Ukraine.

    And we will go further.

    Starting today with £200m to manufacture thousands of new drones…

    …both here in Ukraine and in the UK.

    This is the single largest package of drones given to Ukraine by any nation.

    Thirdly, today’s agreement supports your historic choice to join NATO.

    Because I believe that Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO.

    But this isn’t just about how NATO benefits Ukraine.

    It’s about how Ukraine benefits NATO.

    Your understanding of modern war comes not from a textbook but the battlefield.

    Your armed forces are experienced, innovative, and brave.

    Ukraine belongs in NATO and NATO will be stronger with Ukraine.

    Last year’s Vilnius Summit made important steps towards membership.

    And I want us to be even more ambitious at the Washington Summit this June.

    And we made you a solemn promise…

    …along with 30 other countries…

    …to provide new, bilateral security assurances.

    Today, the UK is the first to deliver on that promise.

    President Zelensky and I have just signed a new security agreement.

    If Russia ever again invades Ukraine, the UK will come to your aid with swift and sustained security assistance.

    We will provide modern equipment across land, sea, and sky…

    Sanction Russia’s economy…

    And work closely with allies to do so.

    You will not have to ask.

    You will not have to argue for what you need.

    The UK will be there from the first moment to the last.

    I believe this is the greatest moment in the history of our relationship.

    With unprecedented security guarantees…

    …it defines our future as allies, working together for the security of Europe…

    …and sitting side by side among the free countries of the world.

    In the words of the great Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko…

    …you have broken your heavy chains and joined…

    The family of the free

    Because in the end, this is about even more than security.

    It is about Ukraine’s right as an independent nation to determine your own future.

    And it is about the right of all nations – enshrined in the UN Charter – to determine their own future.

    As Churchill said, there are two kinds of nationalism:

    “The craze for supreme domination by weight or force” – which he called “a danger and a vice”.

    Or the nationalism that comes from “love of country and readiness to die for country…

    …love of tradition and culture…

    …and the gradual building up…of a social entity dignified by nationhood”.

    He called this: “the first of virtues”.

    I can think of no better description of the two sides of this war.

    Or a better description of the battle that will define our age.

    Because while this war may have begun in the deluded mind…

    …of a man in thrall to the mirage of a long-dead empire…

    …if Putin wins in Ukraine, he will not stop here.

    That’s why President Biden, the EU, allies in NATO, the G7 and beyond…

    …have seen the century-defining importance of this fight and they have rallied to your cause.

    And we cannot – and will not – falter now.

    Because aid to Ukraine is an investment in our own collective security.

    Only a Ukrainian victory will deter Putin from attacking others in the future…

    …and prove our enemies wrong…

    …when they say that democracies have neither the patience nor resources for long wars.

    This is the choice before us.

    These are the stakes.

    Waver now – and we embolden not just Putin, but his allies in North Korea, Iran, and elsewhere.

    Or rally to Ukraine’s side and defend our common cause…

    …of democracy over dictatorship, freedom over tyranny, the rule of law over anarchy.

    That is what you are fighting for.

    And to echo Churchill:

    We must give you the tools – and I know that you will finish the job.

    Let me conclude with this final thought.

    On one of the earliest days of the invasion…

    In the darkness just before the dawn…

    As Russian bombs fell on Kyiv…

    President Zelensky stood outside the House with Chimaeras…

    …and sent a simple, defiant message to the world:

    Miy tut.

    We are here.

    Today, as the world asks will your allies waver…

    Will our resolve weaken…

    Will our belief in your success falter…

    My reply is the same:

    Miy tut.

    We are here.

    As a symbol of our nezlamni allianz…

    …I bring you today the United Kingdom’s flag…

    …signed by our country’s entire Cabinet…

    …to stand here until the day of your victory and beyond…

    …as a sign to the world that we are here…

    …and we will always be with you.

    Miy tut.

    Slava Ukraini.

  • Martin Docherty-Hughes – 2023 Speech on Ukraine (October 2023)

    Martin Docherty-Hughes – 2023 Speech on Ukraine (October 2023)

    The speech made by Martin Docherty-Hughes, the SNP spokesperson on defence, in the House of Commons on 24 October 2023.

    We cannot forget this autumn that we are seeing a broader escalation of the conflict in Ukraine into the frontiers of our Euro-Atlantic homeland. I speak in particular about the recent announcements by the Governments of Sweden, Finland and Estonia that undersea assets linking those countries have been intentionally damaged by third parties. I should declare an interest as chair of the all-party parliamentary group on Estonia.

    My primary concern, which I am sure the Minister shares, is closer to home. Events in the eastern Mediterranean and the Baltics demonstrate the diffuse nature of the threats we need to face, but they also demonstrate the importance of keeping a singular focus on the areas that the Government can best hope to influence. While supporting the heroic and excellent bilateral support for the people of Ukraine as they continue their fight, on the day that the Defence Committee publishes a report into the Government’s Indo-Pacific tilt, can I ask the Minister to reiterate his Government’s commitment to Euro-Atlantic security as a central strategic concern of these islands of the north Atlantic that we inhabit together, and critically, to update the House on the security of our North sea oil and gas infrastructure?

    James Heappey

    It is fantastic to hear the SNP’s epiphany on the strategic importance of North sea oil and gas. We take seriously the requirement to protect our subsea infrastructure, whether oil and gas, fibre-optic cables or energy interconnectors. The Royal Navy has ships permanently at high readiness to ensure that our national economic zone is secure.

    The hon. Gentleman made an important point. Is a time of growing instability in the Euro-Atlantic and the near east one also to be committing more military resource to the far east and the Indo-Pacific? Every defence review—the original integrated review and its refresh—has been clear that the absolute foundation of all our military effort is around security in the Euro-Atlantic, but if our principal ally in the United States is ever-more concerned, as it is, about its competition with China and the challenge in the Indo-Pacific, it is surely necessary to show our willingness to contribute to Indo-Pacific security alongside the United States, so that the United States remains engaged in Euro-Atlantic security, too.